Ravi Patel, a Democratic candidate for Iowa’s 1st Congressional district, is promising to bring “progressive ideas” to Washington, DC… but he doesn’t even have positions on some of the most important issues facing Iowa or the United States.
It’s one thing to alter what you say to constituents because you’re afraid of being caught on tape, which Patel did this past week at a local meet and greet in Dubuque, but it’s an entirely different story to be uninformed on crucial topics and issues facing the district and the country.
In an embarrassing interview with the Telegraph Herald, Patel flubbed several questions posed to him, adding it would be “another three-to-four months before he issued ‘fairly robust policy papers’”:
When asked about rail safety, Patel said he “had not yet developed a policy position,” even though a major train derailment had spilled more than 50,000 gallons of ethanol in the district.
Another Iowa-centric issue that Patel was silent on is the Renewable Fuel Standard, which is an incredibly important concern for Iowans and the state’s economy.
When it comes to national security, Patel had no plans on how to deal with one of the world’s most dangerous and murderous terrorist groups. After flip-flopping on whether or not to use force against ISIS, Patel finally admitted he didn’t have an answer on Congress’ role in the future fight against the terror group.
If Patel wants to bring new, progressive ideas to Washington, DC as a congressman, he should start by actually naming one idea. He might find that to be helpful, especially if it’s an issue, like the ones he was asked about, that is important to the economic well-being and safety of his prospective constituents.